Jim Corbett papers

James A. Corbett (1933-2001) was a rancher, writer, philosopher, and humanitarian. Born in Wyoming, he was educated at Harvard in philosophy before settling in the Southwest where he was a rancher until arthritis made it impossible for him to do a majority of the work involved. In the early 60s he turned Quaker; at this time he was also involved in protesting the Vietnam War.

In the early 80s he learned of the treatment of Central American Refugees both in their home countries but also by federal officials in the United States and began to smuggle them across the U.S.-Mexico border. He considered this act one of civil duty, and shepherded hundreds of refugees to the United States and with the help of Reverend John Fife of the Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, AZ, he began the Sanctuary Movement, which established sanctuaries for these refugees in churches, beginning in Tucson but quickly growing larger across the country.

In 1985 Corbett was one of eleven defendants in the Arizona Sanctuary Trial, and one of the three acquitted. After this trial, Corbett continued his work smuggling refugees, claiming that they set the schedule and he would continue to bring them across the border as long as they continued coming. Corbett argued that what he was doing was not civil disobedience, but civil initiative to help uphold asylum laws.

As a writer and philosopher Corbett spoke about errantry, subsistence and covenanting. His first book, Goatwalking, was published in 1991. In the 90s he was primarily involved with the Quakers and remained so until his death in 2001 from a rare brain disease. He is survived by his wife, Pat Corbett.